Rue

Rue: plant 45 cm (18 in) apart in the row and 60 cm (24 in) between rows, 1 plant per 2 squares. Good neighbours: Apple tree, Pear tree, Plum tree.

Key facts

Spacing in the row	45 cm (18 in)
Between rows	60 cm (24 in)
In a 30 cm (1 ft) square	1 plant per 2 squares
Sun	Full sun, 6–8 hours a day
Root depth	15 cm (6 in)
Height when grown	70 cm (28 in)
Crop rotation group	Herbs, flowers and perennials
Support	None needed

How it is started	Started in trays, from cuttings
Seeds per hole	3
Plants kept after thinning	1
Sowing depth	0.5 cm (0.2 in)
Soil temperature	from 13 °C, best 18–24 °C
Days to emerge	14–28 days
Light while germinating	Needs light, barely cover
Before sowing	nothing needed
When to plant	Indoors 6 weeks before the last frost; outdoors after the last frost; soil at least 12 °C

After emergence	16–22 °C; take the cover off as soon as they show
Pricking out	at 2 true leaves
Takes transplanting	Easily
Hardening off	7–10 days
Life cycle	Perennial
Cold tolerance	Takes a light frost → hardy, takes hard frost
Soil	Light, sandy, free draining, pH 6–7.5
In a pot	5 L, 20 cm (7.9 in)
Watering	Water when the soil is dry two fingers down
Feeding	Little
Support and training	None needed; pinch the tips

Days to first harvest	1–2 years, from planting
Ready when	The leaves are big enough to use
Harvest window	Picked again and again, 12–20 weeks
Typical yield	0.1–0.3 kg per plant
Botanical family	Rutaceae
Watch out for	Aphids
First crop after	2 years
Pollination	Fruits on its own

Open the free planner, drop Rue onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

Plant out	Apr–May
Harvest	Jun–Sep

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

Plants of the Rutaceae family share diseases and pests, so they follow each other in the rotation only after a break.

Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.